Breastfeeding Blog

Destination Maternity, The World' s Largest Maternity Store, will be hosting a 'Tea for Two' on Saturday, August 23rd from 10:30am to 5:00pm at all of their stores in the United States. This is part of their celebration of Breastfeeding Month.

Here is what you can look forward to seeing:

Nursing moms and moms-to-be are invited to enjoy cookies and a warm cup of Organic Mothers Milk® tea - a special blend of anise, fennel and caraway to promote healthy lactation. After indulging, moms will be able to enter a raffle for a chance to win the ultimate nursing kit -a gift basket of must-haves including a breast pump, nursing bra, nipple cream and more. A package valued at over $400! In addition, nursing specialists will be available throughout the day for demonstrations and advice. Free breastfeeding classes and tutorials will be held and "Nature's Way A Video Guide to Breastfeeding" will be streaming on the plasma flat-screens as well. Call for class times.

With gas prices soaring, Motherhood® Moms say they have yet another reason to breastfeed - saving money. In the spirit of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, Motherhood® Maternity surveyed its customers to hear from Motherhood Moms their reasons for breastfeeding, feelings on nursing in public, pumping at work and, most importantly, advice for other moms. With over 10,000 respondents, the results were compelling. While the vast majority (94.5%) agree that the baby' s health is the "most important" reason to breastfeed, over a third (34.7%) of Motherhood Moms said that saving money was a "pretty important" factor in their decision. Just about half (47.6%) of Motherhood Moms also pump at work to keep costs down. (Source: motherhood.com).

The American Academy of Pediatric's recommendation that babies be breastfed for a year isn't being taken to heart.

A report in the August issue of the Journal of Human Lactation shows that three out of four new moms choose to breastfeed over bottle feed, but 64 percent have quit by the time the baby is six months old. Researchers from Brigham Young University used data from the National Immunizations Surveys of over 60,000 children and concluded that children who were more likely to be breast fed for over six months generally had mothers with higher levels of education and income. They also found that women who were married, living in Western states, Hispanic, or born in other countries were also more likely to breastfeed. Women who return to work, are smokers or live in the Northeast decreases the likelihood of long-term breastfeeding. Most interestingly, women who participated in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, which provides food, milk and formula to mothers and young children, were also more likely to stop breastfeeding sooner. Sadly, WIC only does a cursory job of promoting breastfeeding; the population who utilizes WIC would greatly benefit, not only from the health perks, but economically as well. Not enough attention is paid to this group. Renata Forste, one of the authors of the report states, “Breastfeeding promotion programs encourage women to start but don’t provide the support to continue."

Thoughts? Join me in my forum.

I love the fact that I can add to my list of breastfeeding benefits every day.

British researchers have recently discovered that children who are breastfed deal with stress and anxiety more effectively when they reach school age. The study found that, in a group of approximately 9,000 children between the ages of 5 and 10, children who weren't breastfed and whose parents were getting divorced or separated were 9.4 times more likely to show extreme anxiety when compared to children in the same situation who were breastfed as infants (they were only 2.2 times as likely to show extreme anxiety.)

In a recent issue of the Archives of Diseases in Childhood, the study's authors stated that, "Breastfeeding is associated with resilience against the psychosocial stress linked with parental divorce/separation." They believe that the physical contact between mother and child in the first few days of life may help to develop certain neural and hormonal pathways that affect a person's ability to deal with stress in later life. In addition, the authors also believe that the bond created during breastfeeding may affect the mother and child interaction, and that effect may endure.

Let me start by saying that I'm the first to admit I'm a complete TV junkie. Sure, it's the cliched "escape", but life with 3 kids, a husband, a dog and hundreds of breastfeeding mothers makes that a serious requirement. During the summer I do my catch-up "work" on shows I've heard about, yet never got around to watching during the school year. Well, this summer has been all about Friday Night Lights, probably one of the most realistic, intense dramas I've seen in a long time. And no, I'm not a football fan in the slightest, but you don't have to be. This show is about the trials and tribulations of life with football as a metaphor (but not in a cheesy or shove-it-down-your-throat kind of way!)

I know, I know. You're asking yourself, "What does this have to with breastfeeding?" Well, in Season 2, "Mrs. Coach" Tami Taylor (played exceptionally by Connie Britton) shows us the realities of babyhood and breastfeeding. I don't believe I have ever seen a more matter-of-fact display on television. Breastfeeding is incorporated into the dialogue in virtually every episode, almost as often as discussion about the football playbook. In one scene, she comes home from a book group meeting with some friends and had too much wine to drink, announcing to her husband that she needs to go to "pump and dump." In another, she cries to her single sister that her whole life is about dealing with her hormonal 16-year-old daughter, working as a guidance counselor, and breastfeeding. And in yet another scene, there are breast pump pieces left on her office desk and the conversation that ensues between two brothers awaiting her arrival about "what these things are" is not to be missed. What amazes me is that, while so many shows think they're bringing us reality, they don't compare to scenes as simple as these. Do discussions about breast pumps and breastfeeding have anything to do with a show based on the premise of football? Not at all. But the reality of this show does a great job bringing home the feelings, good and bad, that we have about this process. Thoughts? Join me in my forum!

I recently discovered the Go!Pillow. Amidst all of the other breastfeeding pillows, which seem similar in one respect or another, this is innovative and different. The Go!Pillow is very portable and you can use it for infants and through and beyond toddlerhood. It can be used as a sling, a nursing pillow with cover-up, a changing surface, an infant pillow with blanket, a toddler travel pillow...the combinations are endless! Check out their site to find out more information.

This is an issue near and dear to my heart. My 10-year-old son, breastfed for almost a year, has a wheat allergy and we keep him on a gluten-free diet. Nancy Lapid, About's Guide to Celiac Disease, has a fascinating article on having a Gluten-Free Baby? Facts About Breastfeeding, Gluten, and Celiac Disease. You should check out her article about the latest and greatest research regarding breastfeeding and celiac disease. You may be very surprised to hear this news!

What timing! Today Show co-host Meredith Vieira recently spoke with Tom and Allie Harvey, the owners of Safari Zoological Park in Caney, KS., where a golden retriever named Isabella is nursing three tiger cubs abandoned by their mother.

Watch this amazing video to see Isabella in action.

The August issue of The Journal of Nutrition has published a study showing that babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life are well-protected from gastrointestinal issues. However, the same study showed that they have an increased risk of iron-deficiency. The study's lead author, Noreen Willows, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada states, "We are verifying previous findings that in low-income countries [like Mexico, where the study took place] exclusively breastfed infants are protected from GI infection but appear to be at greater risk for iron deficiency." Regardless of the higher risk of iron deficiency, Willows believes that the advice "breast-is-best" remains true. It is easy to correct iron deficiency with supplements, but GI infections can be extremely serious in babies.

Dr. Ruth Lawrence, chairwoman of the section on breastfeeding at the American Academy of Pediatrics, and professor of pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York states that the results of this study pertain much more to mothers in undeveloped countries than in the United States, as fewer American women have low iron levels, which lessens the risk that their babies will become iron-deficient.

One fascinating concept that Lawrence discusses is that ''breast fed babies don't become anemic if their cords are not cut too soon. Delaying the cut for as little as two minutes can help improve the baby's iron status and confer other benefits."

The word "dilemma" is actually quite an understatement in this case. Only two months ago I posted about reducing the risk of HIV transmission during breastfeeding by extending drug regimens. We learned that one dose of nevirapine can prevent mother-to-child transmission. However, a single dose apparently does not always work and the drug can be dangerous with some babies developing liver failure, rashes or low white blood cell counts. In addition, resistance to nevirapine may develop.

Last week,The Lancet described new research in which 2,000 breastfed babies in Ethiopia, Uganda, and India were given six weeks of nevirapine. Unfortunately, the research showed that the regimen was not protective. In fact, an editorial in the journal labeled the results "head scratchers." The main researchers in the study believe even more of the drug should be given, yet some of the Indian investigators are arguing that this move is too risky and that formula should be given instead. So the dilemma deepens. What is the bigger risk? Breastfeeding with a risk of transmission of the disease or formula-feeding in unsanitary conditions with a higher risk of mortality? Let's talk about this in my forum.

It's almost here! In keeping with the summer Olympic Games, over 120 countries will celebrate World Breastfeeding Week with this year's theme being “Mother Support: Going for the Gold”. To celebrate this week-long event across the world, you will see mass breastfeeding demonstrations, lectures, fairs and video and photo contests. Check out this comprehensive list of breastfeeding information from across the About family. I'd love to hear how you plan to celebrate. Visit me in my forum!